Originally the territory of the Hackensack tribe, the earliest European settlement near the site of the bridge was in 1641 at Achter Col, a short lived factorij (trading post) in what is now Bogota.

[6] The historic center of the town at the Green, site of the First Dutch Reformed Church is near the west end of the bridge.

The New Jersey Naval Museum, home of the submarine USS Ling, is located on the west bank just upstream of the bridge.

Although the span has undergone some alterations, it is a well-preserved and operational example of the swing-span trusses over the Hackensack River built by a prominent contractor in Bergen County".

At the age of 20, the decorated lance corporal became the city’s first casualty in the Vietnam War when he was killed by artillery fire in battle on May 25, 1967.

At re-dedication ceremonies held in 2011, a new plaque placed in his memory was unveiled on the newly reconstructed bridge.

In 1950 the original concrete jack arch deck was replaced with a reinforced slab and the stringers were encased.

[17] The fate of USS Ling may ultimately be connected to the ability for it to be moved from its location just north, or upstream, of the bridge.